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Brief History On Shaolin Martial Arts

By Dominique Martin


The term Kung Fu was actually derived from an accomplishment of something that you worked hard for. This is instead of the widely used misconception of it being the actual name of the martial art. An example for this is when you fight your opponent and deliver a kick and made him drop, that is the actual kung fu.

A lot of martial arts had been derived from teachings being branched from one another. Shaolin martial arts is the primary art that was taught in a Buddhist monastery in Songshan Mountain in Henan, China. Basically, this is the style that started it all and which other styles are being derived from.

During the Dynasty of Northern Wei, a Buddhist monk travelled from India to China in four hundred and ninety five A. D. He was called Ba Tuo by the people of China but his actual name was Buddhabhadra. He gained favor from Emperor Xiaowen and was offered at the court to teach Buddhism, but he refused to do so.

Even if Buddhabhadra turned the offer down, he was still given land in Mount Songshan to construct a temple for Buddhism. This is the location of the martial art Shaolin originated and it actually translates to a small forest. This has been there until now for one thousand and five hundred years already and is the location of the biggest schools for its development and derivation into various other styles.

Between the fifty eighth and the seventy sixth A. D., the relations between China and India have grown considerably. Therefore monks have been going back and forth from each country. Because of this, it became more well known in China. It was believed that an Indian monk, who is Bodhidharma, preached Buddhism during this time in the temple.

In Henan, this is still practiced by monks who reside there. And it is a known fact by many that it has an entertainment value because of the beauty of the movements and form which caught the attention of many international audiences. However, the value for its self defense is being diminished due to it needing to be more showy and entertaining rather than useful.

But in 1934, Jin Jing Zhong published a book named 72 Arts of Shaolin. This is which the author listed only those authentic training methods which are designed more for self defense. These methods and practices were developed due to the scroll given to the author by Abbot Miao Xing.

This style leans more towards for striking. It makes use of punches, kicks, and blocks to hinder attackers from striking. What gives this a lot of attention is the form of these styles which adds to the beauty of the art. It utilizes a mixture of closed and open handed strikes for defense. The application of hard and soft techniques also contributes to this artform.

There have been a lot of movies and films already that has used this style for the scenes. Also, it has been inculcated in fitness programs which trainers have studied this along with stuntmen. A few training facilities have opened up to deliver education and skill training for this art form aside from the origin which is in Henan. They teach the basic forms for kids and adults.




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